BEAUTIFUL STORY AND CHARACTERS

I don't normally rate dramas I watched but this drama really took my heart by storm! No words can really describe how beautiful the story was portrayed in this drama. I watch it 2 years later than the date it was released, and I regret jumping onto the drama late. But I can see myself always coming back to relive this drama multiple times. It's that good!

Plotline:
I think this is a Chinese drama for those that are new to the Chinese traditional outfits/wuxia dramas. The first 10 episodes really started slow and I remember when I first watch it out of curiosity, I wasn't really hooked on it yet. BUT! It started to pick up the pace really well from episodes 13-14. So for those that are maybe having second thoughts watching the first few episodes, hang in there!! It will be worth all your time later on.

Characters:
As for the main leads, I can never praise them enough for their portrayal of the characters in the story. They really chose well for the casts this time. The emotions that Xiao Zhan (Wei Wu Xian) and Wang Yibo (Wang Ji) showed throughout the episodes touched my heart greatly. And yes, some might be wondering if there is BL? From my personal perspective and coming from a Chinese background, I can say it only shows the minimum for a BL show (due to censorship from China as well). But you can't miss it because they have the typical long staring scenes between the main leads and what everyone likes to call bromance moments (which can also be seen as lover moments HAHA). But really, I like the BL but the story is the one that made me stayed and cheered for all the characters in this drama.

Rewatch Value:
10 out of 10 is rewatchable! For those that love wuxia dramas and in the findings of a good story, this is the one for you! I rewatched the first few episodes and so many things now made more sense to me given I have finished the drama.

This has been a really long review and for those that do read it, thank you! Hope you will enjoy it as much as I have!

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A webtoon reader dream come true!

At first, when I watched the trailer to this drama, it caught me off guard since it's my first time seeing Korea taking on a thriller and horror story from a webtoon and make it into live-action. It intrigued me to watch it as it's something fresh for me. And boy was I blown away by it. Instead of getting the horror content that I was expecting, it gave me the CHARACTERS, STORY, PLOT, and FEELS. (and yes I won't give any spoilers in my reviews no worries)

Story/Plot:
It started with our main character going through some things that I can say some of the young adults do go through in high school. It's not something many people talk about and starting the story with such a character is right off the bat very different from the other stories I have watched. (Take note: I didn't read the webtoon but I know of its existence.) The high tension of the story immediately starts in the first episode, it brought me along the ride as the episodes progress. The pacing of the drama is just right, there are no moments in the drama that are just fillers or unnecessary. Each moment has meaning and it adds to the story! The logic and reality of the story are alright, not out of the blue but pretty understandable.

Character:
Besides the main character development throughout the story, the other characters are so good! I ended up loving a lot of the side characters. When you have a good story, good characters, what can go wrong? I enjoyed all the scenes of the other characters, it's heartwarming to see how the characters bond together in the situations they were put in. I won't say too much about the characters because by doing so I would have to dive into spoilers :') but really they are the highlights of the story for me.

Action:
The fighting sequence really blew me away! I did not expect high-quality visual effects. What happens if you fuse Korean drama and one of the Hollywood visual effects? SWEET HOME! It's just breathtaking to see the monsters in such well-produced CGI. Hands down to the people behind this production. The fighting sequences make me on the edge of my seat every time! Really well done on this part!

Overall:
Although the genre is considered thriller and horror, I see it more as a character-driven story. There were so many heartwarming moments between the characters and it made me connect with them more. The sad and funny parts with the characters are very memorable from this drama. I love the horror but these sides of the drama really were the ones that made me got hooked on it. Some warning for those weak-hearted souls out there, there will be some deaths in this drama that made me bawled my eyes out in the end.

So if you have read this long review till the end, might as well give this a try! It's a really good watch and thank you for reading this review as well hehe xD

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A gem in all the korean dramas in 2021!

First of all, this drama deserves a round of applause for not following the typical mafia storyline (where the female lead tries to change the mafia male lead into becoming a better person). Nope, it's a far cry from that! This drama has 20 1 hour and 30 minutes episodes that make you laugh, cry, shout, and awed with!

Plotline:
The story is really interesting, it started off grand, showing you the main lead - Vincenzo's background, what he does for a living, his interactions with the people around him. The first episode got me invested in the character that Song Joong Ki played, and the episodes went on to show how he dealt with the Italian Mafia before he went on to his home country, Korea. The story genre is never the same as soon as he lands in Korea. it changed from mystery/action to a dark comedy which I found amusing. It really highlighted how different Korea and Italy were and are in our day-to-day life for the main lead. For me, the story starts to pick up around the 10th episode where there are so many pieces that start to come together and the characters really are the ones that were moving the story.

Characters:
Vincenzo chose the right casts for the characters, I cannot think of anyone else except for Song Joong Ki to play Vincenzo. The villains in this drama were incredible actors, they made me want to punch my screen because of how bad they are HAHA. The back-to-back interactions between the female lead - Hong Cha Young and Vincenzo are just refreshing to watch. We don't normally see this kind of female leads in a lot of dramas, so it's a really nice change of pace to see. The side characters have my heart in this show, they made the whole drama filled with laughter and I seriously can't get enough of them!

Rewatch Value:
8/10 for me. I think this drama is one that I will only watch once but it will stay in my heart as one of the gems I found in Korean dramas. There are many elements in the drama that only works when you watch it for the first time!

Thank you for reading this long review HAHA, if you do decide to watch it, I wish you enjoy it as much as I did!

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Family drama that anyone can enjoy!

This drama took my heart by storm! I remembered during the pandemic when I was stuck at home with nothing to watch. I stumbled upon this gem, being curious about the storyline, I started watching it. And boy was I hooked on this drama. I binged it and even after I finished the drama, I couldn't get enough! There are so many points that make this drama the best especially in 2019-2020.

Plot/story:
First of all, the setting! I'm sure many of us are unfamiliar with how North Koreans live in their daily life being that it's a colonist country. That alone already got me interested in the setting of the drama. According to the production team of the drama, they did consult with real North Koreans about how the places and day-to-day life of them are really like and they portrayed that in the drama really well. Other than that, the fact that the female lead who's from South Korea ends up in North Korea meeting the male lead who is a North Korean, and slowly fell in love with each other is everything a slow-burn love story needs! Not only it's forbidden love, but an adventurous one. We then follow both the main leads story in North Korea, surviving together through obstacles and helping each other.

Characters:
The main female lead, Yoon Se-ri who's a rich heiress in South Korea landed in North Korea meeting Ri Jeong-Hyeok, an officer in the North Korean Military due to a paragliding accident. Se-ri is smart, confident, and a hard-working woman instead of the typical spoiled female lead we sometimes still see in a drama. She is an independent wealthy businesswoman who runs her own successful fashion and beauty company, Seri's Choice.
Our male lead, Jeong-Hyeok, comes from a powerful political family, his father being the Director of the General Political Bureau, but instead, he chose to keep his lineage a secret from everyone around him. A piano prodigy as well! WHAT! A proficient but emotionally-reserved Captain, well-respected by the unit he leads in the army. Jeong-Hyeok is such a perfect man I have no words to describe him. He is literally everyone's dream husband material, I don't blame Se-ri for falling in love with him HAHA.
The supporting characters are such beautiful people, I remembered shedding tears when they were leaving each other at the end. The squad with Captain Ri and the ahjumas in North Korea will have a place in my heart. The acting by all the cast here was flawless, all of them did such a good job. I have no complaints about the acting and portrayal of emotions in all the scenes.
The second couple had me going squealing most of the time they were on screen, but boy my heart was just destroyed by their ending. That's the only thing that made me wish the story was different for them :')

Rewatch Value:
Yes!!! 10/10 rewatchable! The story is also pretty suitable for any age range to watch. Whether you are a parent, teenager, young adult, this drama will have some characters that you can relate to! I already re-watched it 3 times HAHA it's just that good! If you are in need of some rom-com, touching, family drama to watch, this is the one!

Thanks for reading my review! Hope it helps anyone that wants to watch it or for those that already watched it and misses this drama like me hehe xD

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